Are you in search of a unique, fun, and politically correct holiday party theme? Bring light to the shortest day of the year, and longest night, with a winter solstice party.

The winter solstice marks a turning point in the year where days start to grow longer and nights gradually shorten. Everyone enjoys brighter, warmer, and longer days — so embrace this special change with a winter solstice soiree!

Light up the darkness, and start looking forward to brighter days ahead, with a winter solstice soiree! Use these party ideas and tips to learn how proper celebration of the winter solstice is done!

Invitations

All great parties start with perfect invitations. Create custom invitations that fit your winter solstice theme online or at home. You can design your own custom invitations online for next to nothing! The process is very fun, fast, and convenient. Take a look at InviteShop.com for more custom invite information and ideas.

If creating custom invites online is not for you, try making beautiful invites that fit your theme by hand. Whichever method you choose, make sure to include winter solstice inspired embellishments. Adding tiny stars, glitter, fake snow, or glow in the dark paint will really make your invites scream “winter solstice”.

Decorating

After you have your invitations sorted out, you can start thinking about winter solstice party decorations. This part should be lots of fun.

Let your imagination run wild and fill your party area with strings of lights, candles, lanterns, and any other illuminating and bright accessories you can find. You’re celebrating the darkest day of the year, so try to bring radiance to your party with warm and bright decorations. If you have a fireplace, light it up! You can also set up a fire outside if your yard is fit for it.

At its core, the winter solstice is a celebration of nature. Solstices have played an important role in the lives of people since ancient times. People have relied on astronomical events to determine when to sow their crops, harvests their food, and prepare for the change of season.

Try incorporating ideas and decorations that reflect what the winter solstice symbolizes into your party. Including natural accents like flowers, plants, branches, shells, rocks or crystals, and even a Christmas tree will add fresh and earthy tones to your celebration.

Entertainment

Prepare a great holiday playlist in advance. Ask your guests what their favorite holiday songs are so you can tailor your party playlist to their liking. For great holiday song ideas, take a look at this Best Xmas Music for Your Holiday Party article. Have holiday films playing in the background for guests to watch if they get tired of socializing.

Since the winter solstice is all about astronomy, try finding a telescope to set up at your party. Winter is the perfect time of year to do your star gazing. According to Space.com, the night sky in winter months is brighter and clearer than any other time of year. This is because cold air has less moisture in it and will produce less fog and haze.

So take advantage of the clear sky and dazzle yourself with the beautiful light display our celestial sphere has to offer. Have a few constellations or planets in mind to point out to your guests. Prepare ahead of time by reading this Top 10 Winter Sky Targets For Skywatchers article.

Also prepare a variety of games and activities for your guests to partake in so they don’t get bored. Try inviting someone who can read Tarot cards. This will add to the pagan element of the theme and your guest will have fun having their fortunes told.

Board games are another great means of entertainment. The Settlers of Catan board game is super popular and fun. Try getting your hands on a copy of the space edition, The Starfarers of Catan for your winter solstice party. It will fit perfectly with the astronomy theme and your guests will love playing it for hours and hours.

Gift giving is a traditional aspect of winter solstice celebrations. Request that all of your guests bring a small gift to exchange with one another. If you’re in need of some holiday gift inspiration, take a look at this Christmas Literature – Great Gifts article or this DIY Holiday Gifts article for wonderful handmade gift ideas.

Food

Also put out an arrangement of cheese and crackers. Cheese is a great comfort food, and it’s been around a long time so it will go along with the winter solstice theme well.

Set up a cheese and chocolate fondue section for your guests. This will provide them with a warm and fun treat to indulge in during the cold of winter.

Serve warm slices of quiche as the main course. Quiche is fairly simple to make and a savory, rich dish that is perfect for cold weather.

Know Your Holiday Party Theme

You’ll want to have a firm understanding of what the winter solstice is and the significance it holds, so you can share what you’re celebrating with your guests.

The winter solstice marks the first official day of winter. The sun will rise at its lowest point and make its quickest trek across the sky all year. The occasion has been celebrated since ancient times by a variety of different cultures.

Check out the video below to learn more about winter solstice.

Good Luck With Your Holiday Party Theme

Hopefully these winter solstice celebration tips and tricks gave you the holiday party theme inspiration you were looking for. Good luck planning your celebration. Try to incorporate ideas and accents into your party that match your guests interests and tastes. The party will be more enjoyable if everyone feels as if they were taken into account. Happy party planning. May your holidays be merry and bright!